Lake Michigan search for missing boaters suspended

Lake Michigan search for missing boaters suspended

Monday, June 2, 2014

CHICAGO (AP) — Authorities suspended their search late Sunday for two people who were on a boat that apparently capsized in Lake Michigan near Chicago, hours after the rescue of the other two who were onboard, including a woman who later died.

The Coast Guard released a statement late Sunday saying it had called off the active search for a missing 30-year-old man and 27-year-old woman. It said crews originally responded to a report of six people who were in the water, but it later confirmed there were only four onboard, including a man and woman who were pulled alive from the water.

The four were headed from New Buffalo, Michigan, when they ended up in the 60-degree water about 7 miles offshore of Chicago, where they were going, the Coast Guard said.

A fisherman spotted one of the men in the lake at around 6:15 a.m. Sunday, pulled him onboard and called the Coast Guard, officials said. Searchers pulled a woman from the lake about two hours later.

Both were taken to Mercy Hospital, where the woman was pronounced dead, the Coast Guard said. The man was in stable condition late Sunday with symptoms of hypothermia.

Authorities did not release the names of any of those who were onboard the boat.

The man who was rescued told authorities that the boat capsized about 6 miles from shore at around 7 p.m. Saturday. But Fire Chief Joe Roccasalva said the man was suffering from hypothermia and gave different descriptions of what had happened.

The man and woman who were found alive were both wearing life jackets, and a fire official said earlier Sunday that the others who were onboard were also believed to be wearing them.

The Coast Guard said it suspended the active search after it had covered about 1,600 square miles using helicopters and planes, as well as boats, to look for the missing people. It said searchers didn't find the boat or any debris from it.